The khauf of Allah Ta’ala of a Talibul-`ilm
[- as related by Hadhrat Mufti `Aqilur-Rahman Sahib, who writes:]
This bandah saw a waqi`ah in a certain kitab:
A talibul-`ilm was staying in a masjid situated in the wilderness. It so happened that a noble man`s daughter, who was a keen huntress and who had been out hunting with her friends, got separated from her group. Wandering around, completely lost, she came upon this masjid. Seeing the talibul-`ilm inside, she expressed a wish to sleep over for the night. She was dressed in male clothing, but the talibul-`ilm made out from her voice that this was actually a young female. He raised no objection to her request. She entered and went to one corner and fell asleep.
He went to his place and slept. In the middle of the night the talibul-`ilm`s nafs started instigating him, telling him: “She is a girl. She is weak. We are completed secluded.” The talibul-`ilm got up. There was an open oil lamp burning. He went over to it and placed his finger in the flame and kept it there for a moment. He then went back to sleep. It was not long when his nafs started troubling him again. He again went over to the oil lamp and placed his finger in the flame. He then went back to sleep. This procedure repeated itself several times. In the meantime, the girl now wide awake, was watching all this.
When the morning came and they got up, the girl asked: “Why did you keep on burning your finger the whole night through?”
The talibul-`ilm evaded giving an answer and remained silent. However, the girl insisted he tell her. Finally he said: “I am also human. I also possess a nafs inside of me. From your voice I recognized that you were a girl. My nafs started to incite me. I responded by telling my nafs: “The punishment for what you are inciting me is the fire of Jahannam. The fire Is 70 times harsher than the fie in this world. First, show that you can endure the pain of this fire, then I will fulfill your desire`. In this way, by burning my finger, I broke its desire.”
There are many such qissas of talibul-`ilms who have the fear of Allah Ta’ala in their hearts. Here only one episode has been noted down.
